Kurukulas

Kurukulas and other South Indians was a process that seems to 383 have one on for a long period. New bands ofinuni rants probably settled down on the western coast inthe thirteenth century as well. As some ofthe traditions suggest, theinvasion of South India by the 1usli*s probably further migration of }lukkuvar and Kurukulas inthe fourteenth century. During the Kt period there were Taniil Vanni chieftaincies in this region, some of which were contr011ed by Nukkuvar. The Tamil chieftaincies ofthe Puttalam-Chilaw region seem to have owed allegiance to the rulers, although according to de Queyroz the lands as far south as Chilaw belonged to the kings ofJaffna. This coastal region appears to have been a bone o contention between the Sinhalese and Tamil rulers owing to its in ortance inthe control ofthe island's pearl fishery. The ________ vaipava-mlai refers to the struggle between Ceyav1raciMqii riya, one ofthe kings ofJaffna, and Bhuvanekabhu, probably the fourth of that na e, over the control ofthe pearl banks Another invasioa of ?yrattha, in which was included the Chilaw region, by the Tamils from the northern part ofthe islandinthe time of Parkramabhu IV (1302-1326) is alluded to inthe }Iranbdda inscription The Tamil chieftains ofthe Chilaw-Puttalam 1. Yv., p. k23 S.Paranavitana, 'The 4rya Kingdom of North Ceylon', p.22 2. U.C. .C., I, pt. E, p. 63k, fu. 7k.

egion may have been forced to change their alliances from time 389 to time. In the thirteenth century probably there were no Tami]. chieftaincies inthe Puttalam district. But probably there were such chieftaincies inthe Nar district, here }gha and JayabThu had established fortifications. Outside the Northern and Eastern Provinces andthe Puttalam district, there were Vanni chieftaincies inthe Northcentral Province inthe thirteenth century. This province, which formed the central part of Rjaratha, was the scene of much ravage and plunder during the occupation of Ngha. As we have seen earlier, it was this region which was most affected by the foreign invasions andthe consequent drift ofthe Sinhalese population to the south-west. The claim ofthe Clavaisa that ?1gha's soldiers seized tillages, fields and houses in Rjaraha may not be wholly untrue. We have seen that there is some archaeological evidence in Polonnaruva and Minnriya which attest to the destruction of Bu dhist establishments andthe building of Saiva shrines by theinvaders. We h ye also pointed out that a good percentage ofthe place names in this province is Tamil in origin. Certain traditions ofthe Nuvarakalviya district of thi province indicate the aettl nt of T mu Vnniy s in that re 1Ofl The Tmi1 an Ker4a soldiers of N ha as well 1. See upra, p.33